How We Got Our Start

In the summer of 1999 two lifelong best friends boarded an airplane to Las Vegas. As we sat back and enjoyed ourselves, we began brainstorming about one of life’s great mysteries – dog breath. (You see, we both had dogs with the same problem – imagine that!) The conversation soon turned to our job dissatisfaction and the fact that we weren’t getting any younger. (We were 30).

By the time the plane landed, we had a product idea, a business plan mapped out on a cocktail napkin and we were ready to quit our jobs to go into business with each other. Unlike most people who do a lot of dreaming, yet rarely follow through with their plans, we were quite serious. We both have type A+ personalities and families who usually put up with our seemingly whacko ideas.

When we returned home, we hired a chemist and worked for five months on a breath mint formula that dogs would eat. Then we took the financial plunge against everyone’s best judgment. Not long after our product launched, Mouthfuls was copied by another large company. Undeterred, we felt flattered and went on to design even more products.

Like most small businesses, we toiled in our garages the first few years and then took the plunge and bought our own warehouse. We know what it means to work hard on a business that we feel passionate about and we loved every minute of it.

In 2005 we expanded the business once again. We opened our flagship pet supply boutique in Denver, featuring our products. We also brought in lots of wonderful foods, treats, toys, etc. from companies that we’d gotten to know over the years. It took less than a year for us to be named “Denver’s Best Pet Boutique” by the editors of Denver’s 5280 Magazine and we received that award year after year for years! We’ve also won Westword’s Best Pet Store and the coveted award of Best Pet Store from the Highland’s Mommies.

Mouthfuls is very locally minded and carries more products from Colorado companies than any other pet supply store in the state. We specialize in nutrition and joke that we’re Denver’s diarrhea specialists. We’re also a community gathering space with a patio behind the store where neighbors gather to socialize with their dogs. Need a vet, a dog walker, non-anesthetic teeth cleaning? We’ve got it and we’ll gladly share it with you!

We sincerely appreciate your support and wish you and your pets health and happiness!